Pet owners and parents of small children currently use a wide variety of safety gates to keep their pets and small children restricted from certain areas. Safety gates provide an array of essential benefits including safety, training, protection, etc.
There are generally two types of safety gates. One type of safety gate (sometimes referred to herein as a “substantially permanent” safety gate) is a safety gate which is intended to be set up once and then thereafter be left in place on a substantially permanent basis. The other type of safety gate (sometimes referred to herein as a “temporary” safety gate) is a safety gate which is intended to be set up and taken down as needed.
Current versions of both types of safety gates suffer from significant limitations.
More particularly, substantially permanent safety gates are stationary gates which are secured to walls, doorframes, etc. by permanent fasteners (e.g., bolts, screws, etc.) which extend into the walls, doorframes, etc. In general, these substantially permanent gates are placed in a doorway or hallway or walkway and remain in place on a substantially permanent basis. The primary benefit of substantially permanent gates is that they are generally easier to pass through, since they typically have a hinged door that is opened by a latch or handle. A significant disadvantage of substantially permanent gates is that they are effectively fixed in place and cannot be easily moved from one location to another. Thus, substantially permanent safety gates effectively serve a single location.
Temporary safety gates comprise “freestanding” safety gates and temporary gates which are fastened in place against walls, doorframes, etc. using temporary means such as clamps, sliding mechanisms, etc. The primary benefit of temporary safety gates is that they can be set up or taken down as needed. A significant disadvantage of temporary safety gates is that they are not secured to an adjoining architectural structure (in the case of a freestanding safety gate) or they are inadequately secured to (e.g., they slip or easily detach from) an adjoining architectural structure (in the case of a temporary gate). In addition, temporary safety gates tend to be inconvenient when an adult needs to pass by the safety gate—the adult typically needs to either (i) “step over” the temporary gate (and this must be done without touching the temporary gate for fear of knocking over or moving aside the temporary safety gate) or (ii) the adult needs to take down or move the safety gate, pass through the opening, and then reset the safety gate.
In addition to the foregoing, substantially permanent safety gates and temporary safety gates also both possess the following additional limitations:
1. Inflexible—Current safety gates (both substantially permanent safety gates and temporary safety gates) are generally formed out of rigid materials (e.g., plastic, wood, metal, etc.). These materials make the safety gates substantially rigid, and that rigidity creates significant limitations and complications. More particularly, rigid safety gates have no “give”, making them difficult for adults to pass by. To pass by a rigid safety gate, an adult must either (a) “step over” the safety gate, or (b) have a door formed in the safety gate, or (c) remove the safety gate (and then set the safety gate back up again). Stepping over a rigid safety gate is awkward, often resulting in (i) a “banged up” shin as the person's leg strikes the rigid safety gate, and/or (ii) the safety gate “crashing down”, and/or (iii) worse—a person falling over while attempting to step over the safety gate. Providing a door in the safety gate in order to allow an adult to pass by the safety gate generally requires a more complex safety gate design, and also generally requires that the safety gate be constructed out of substantially rigid materials. Removing the safety gate in order to allow an adult to pass by the opening is impractical with permanent safety gates, and removing temporary safety gates to allow an adult to pass by the opening is generally inconvenient and requires free hands and space (something which is not always readily available). In addition, after the temporary safety gate has been taken down and the person passes through the doorway or hallway or walkway, the safety gate must then be set back in place again.
2. Structurally Large—The average size of “smaller” rigid safety gates is 23″ H (high)×28″ W (wide). Temporary rigid safety gates generally take up 4.47 square feet of storage space (i.e., 23″×28″=4.47 square feet), are bulky, and are often difficult to maneuver.
Thus there is a need for a new and improved safety gate for pets and small children which is temporary, flexible, folds up to a manageable size and provides an easy way for adults to pass by the safety gate without needing to move the entire safety gate.